Budget cuts could close as many as 4 Ohio prisons

COLUMBUS -- Ohio's prisons director tells Gov. John Kasich's administration that a 10 percent budget cut would mean closing up to four state prisons.

In an Oct. 1 budget request, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Gary Mohr said four facilities, including three large prisons, would need to be closed if budget cuts reached 10 percent of current levels. The contents of the request were first reported by Gongwer News Service.

Mohr also said the small, stand-alone Hocking Correctional Facility that houses older inmates would need to be closed due to Ohio's shrinking prison population. But a spokeswoman said Monday that increased population projections since fall will require keeping the facility open.

Mohr's other cost-cutting ideas included privatizing food service, selling timber and reducing water and electricity usage.